What’s your favorite Stark County Restaurant? | Contributor Q&A

I love breakfast food, and Twisted Citrus is my favorite local place for breakfast or brunch. First and most importantly: The coffee is excellent. The menu is big enough—and good enough—that I’ve never ordered the same thing twice, and everything I’ve eaten there is delicious. Plus, there’s a solid mix of savory and sweet options, so it keeps everyone happy.

Gary Brown Bender’s Tavern … Walking into Bender’s Tavern is like stepping back into the past. The establishment’s wood and marble surroundings have seen so much through the decades that the walls and floors and furniture all seem to speak.

That’s what I like most about Bender’s, which opened the doors to its bar and restaurant more than a century ago. I value its past. Many restaurants have fine food—indeed the fresh seafood at Bender’s meets that standard—but few have the history of this downtown Canton treasure.

I constantly wonder about that long legacy of customers when I dine there. Who could have eaten where I’m sitting? About what might he and his companions have conversed? What would they have ordered as their meals? Were they movers and shakers of the community? Or might they merely be as common as myself, out on the town celebrating some special moment in their lives?

I love the time I spend at Bender’s because each meal is a memory.

Kelli Weir Old Carolina Barbecue Co. … Stark County is blessed to have some really good barbecue restaurant options. My favorite is Old Carolina Barbecue Co.

Whether it’s the pulled pork or chicken, the brisket or, my favorite, the very filling half-chicken, it’s all consistently delicious. What sets Old Carolina apart from the others is its sauce—I’m a fan of the sweet Original Classic Sauce—and its sides. Also, don’t forget their liquid candy, Cheerwine.

I love the food so much that my husband, Josh, and I hired Old Carolina to cater our wedding, and we’re considering serving it at our daughter’s first birthday party (might as well serve something we like before she can voice an opinion!).

Charita Goshay Bender’s Tavern … You can feel the history when you step into Bender’s Tavern. A stalwart of downtown Canton since horse-drawn carriages rumbled past, Bender’s has weathered culinary trends and food fads, from TV dinners to pumpkin-spice everything on avocado toast.

The well-worn stone step leading to the tavern tells a story all its own. Inside, the bar’s rich oak paneling hearkens back to an age when such places were the exclusive domain of “gentlemen.”

For people who are not yet ready to order dinner by poking at an electronic screen, Benders is a venue that’s conducive to tradition and good conversation.

Though Canton is hundreds of miles from the ocean, Bender’s is famous for its seafood, particularly its Boston scrod, lobster rolls, Chilean sea bass and turtle soup.

Add some Bender’s Fries, and you’re set.

Bender’s traditional setting may be preventing some folks from giving it a try, but not trying to be the hip and hottest noisy place is a big part of its charm.

If you’re searching for a quiet venue with consistently good food and solid service, Bender’s may be what you’re looking for.

Alison Matas Twisted Citrus … I love breakfast food, and Twisted Citrus is my favorite local place for breakfast or brunch. First and most importantly: The coffee is excellent. The menu is big enough—and good enough—that I’ve never ordered the same thing twice, and everything I’ve eaten there is delicious. Plus, there’s a solid mix of savory and sweet options, so it keeps everyone happy.